The life and times of the most recent parish priest of St Joseph`s and St Wilfrid`s, Gateshead.

Thursday, 10 August 2017

Last Mass at Brinkburn

Brinkburn 2016

The annual Mass at Brinkburn Priory will take place on Saturday 9th September at 12 noon. This will be the twenty-third and last. The choir Antiphon will be singing the Missa L'homme arme' by
Guillaume Dufay with the motets Benedicta et venerabilis by Byrd and Parsons Ave Maria. We will also have a Gregorian chant group led by David Edwards. I`m hoping the Mass will be a Solemn High celebration but am still trying to confirm the sacred ministers.

Last year after Mass the English Heritage lady in the cabin said she was concerned that we had been using candles and incense as these are not allowed in English Heritage properties for health and safety reasons. I can see this being the case for stately homes with many fabrics about but Brinkburn is made of stone apart from the sedilia. However, I wrote to English Heritage to get clarification but got no response. A week ago I wrote to English Heritage to confirm all was arranged for September 9th. I was told that it was but we must not use candles or incense. It was suggested we use electric candles which is what other people do. I thought this wasn`t allowed for Mass but anyway a Solemn High Mass without incense would be ridiculous so I assumed that was it. However this week English Heritage came back to me and said given the short notice of cancellation they were happy for the Mass to go ahead with incense and candles this time but not in the future. So there we have it after nearly a quarter of a century. I`ll miss Mass at Brinkburn as it is a glorious location. So I`m looking into other venues for the Hexham and Newcastle LMS day out. We used to have a Mass at St Mary`s cathedral in Newcastle for a few years but have been told this year that that is not to happen. However I have a couple of other irons in the fire!

Elfin Safety has taken over our traditional British common sense. Whilst it is sad that this is to be the last, you are, of course, correct in refusing to bow down before the demands of English Heritage - electric candles indeed!

Pity, because I had laundered and pressed my LGBTQT flag. Where can I fly it now? Gibside Chapel? (I know - EH is not the same as the National Truss, but a similar sense of idiocy prevails)

Not wishing to stir any embers, but your final remark that you have "other irons in the fire" could be misconstrued by the "lady in the hut", who will be, at this moment arranging with the fire brigade to be on stand by.

Could you get a plug in air freshener - incense flavour - to go with the electric candles?

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.” 13 Gideon answered him, “But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?Judges 6.12